The invention relates to an actuating mechanism, in particular for driving a motor vehicle rearview mirror. The actuating mechanism includes a housing, at least one electric motor, which is arranged therein and whose output shaft is drive-coupled to a reducing gear, driving an actuating mechanism, and a plug shaft, which is designed as one piece with the housing and into which a connecting plug can be plugged.
There already exists an actuating mechanism with a housing, two electric motors, whose output shafts are drive-coupled to a reducing gear, driving a mirror, and a plug shaft, which is designed as one piece with the housing and into which a connecting plug can be plugged. In the prior art actuating mechanism, the motors are connected to the plug shaft by means of sheet metal guides and form the counter plug to the connecting plug, which can be plugged into the plug shaft and locked with the housing. The prior art actuating mechanism exhibits the drawback that it cannot be installed on the electric motors or other electric or electronic components without modifying the housing for other types of contacting, like direct soldering of supply and/or control lines, especially when the supply and/or control lines are to be provided with a strain relief.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide for this class of actuating mechanism the possibility that different types of contacting are possible with a housing shape and yet there is always the guarantee of a strain relief for the supply and/or control lines.
This problem is solved, according to the invention, by additional relief strain means, which are not one piece with the housing and which can be plugged into the plug shaft and locked with the housing and accommodate at least two supply and/or control lines in one area, which is at a distance from the line ends and holds so as to resist tension. Thus, the supply and/or control lines can be accommodated in an area that is at a distance from the line ends and are held with strain relief, whereas the strain relief means lock with the housing and thus are held firmly in position. In another application, the plug shaft can be used again as the counter plug without having to make any changes to the housing.
The strain relief means can be made of one single piece, if it is made of two holding members, which are connected together as one piece by means of at least one film hinge or a pressure relief joint.
Preferably two spaced film hinges are used that define a passage. This passage is suitable for accommodating the supply and/or control lines. Expediently the two holding members are designed in such a manner that they can be locked together. Thus, the supply and/or control lines are held reliably. The locking mechanism comprises preferably recesses and projecting pins, which are equipped with locking means. In this respect the pins are guided into the recesses and snapped in there.
The holding members are provided with line receptacles and these with clamping edges. They serve to hold the lines tight before the two holding members are locked together.
In addition, the clamping edges, which are arranged transversely to the course of the line, guarantee the supply and/or control lines against tensile forces and hold them so in their position.
An especially good strain relief effect is achieved in that the at least one projecting pin engages between two supply and/or control lines and pushes them against additional clamping edges in the holding member.
The assembly is facilitated in that guides, comprising projecting and return areas, are provided between the two holding members, which serve as joining and adjusting means.
Since the strain relief means are designed externally like a corresponding plug, which can be plugged into the plug shaft, the housing, with which the plug shaft is one piece, can be used unmodified for different types of contacting. Since the strain relief means can be locked with locking hooks of the housing, the supply and or control lines are held reliably.
To hold the strain relief means without clearance, there are additional stop means, which limit the insertion depth in the plug shaft.
The strain relief means are advantageous, especially when the ends of the supply and/or control lines are soldered or welded to at least one electric motor. Thus, the solder or weld joints are not exposed to any tensile forces, which would endanger the contact reliability.